What’s next? Big questions asked at MWC

What’s next? Big questions asked at MWC

MWC is as thrilling as ever this year. The people, the gadgets, the stands are all as colourful and interesting as you would expect and hope.

A big theme through much of Hall 3 – the home of some of the biggest names in the industry including Microsoft, Qualcomm, Intel, Nokia and Ford – is ‘innovation’. This is also as you would expect, but what’s slightly different is the urgency with which these big names are working to figure out what’s next.

There is a hustle on and around the stands this year, a feeling that we are on the brink of taking off into the next phase of tech. There’s an impatience that is truly energising as you walk around and become immersed in the enthusiasm these players have for their craft.

The desire to make things happen is perhaps best epitomised by Qualcomm’s new strapline – ‘Why Wait’ – positioned not as a question but as a statement. The frequent appearances of hot air balloons and planes also added to the sense of taking off.

What the next truly big thing, the new revolution, will be is unclear. IoT and VR featured heavily on most stands, of course, and a surprising number of Lego-led demos show blue chip’s commitment to capturing the next generation while they’re still young. What we do know though, on today’s evidence at least, is that we won’t have to wait long to find out.